Sandman: Annika's Lullaby
by MissScaryKitty
Summary: When Annika, an ice spirit, unexpectedly meets Dream, she begins to think that perhaps she could begin to reclaim her life in the Dreaming. Yet, Desire and Despair have other plans. Appearances by all of the Endless! Dream/Annika
1. Chapter 1

AN: Takes place during the storyline of Endless Nights:

In the time before the humans, before the Earth was formed…

Annika looked out on the vast universe that stretched out before her in a sea of stars. Pacing up and down the balcony of the Hanging Gardens, she ran her fingers along the marble railing that separated her from the endless blackness. Mizar's ivory castle hung like a jewel suspended in space. It was a place of celebration, collaboration, and peaceful negotiation with the most important representatives in the universe. Yet Annika wished to hide from it all, to be left in her solitude.

Parliament had begun some hours ago and Annika had walked out nearly the moment it started. There was no reason for her to be there really besides the fact that her father had dragged her. He only wished to talk business with her fiancé, Cao, and his family anyway.

As ice spirits, her father and her had little stake in the politics of mortals. Time would pass, control and boundaries would change and they would still be there as far as she knew.

From the moment of creation, ice covered star debris, commits and planets both dead and alive. And when conditions were such that ice could no longer keep its form, she would simply morph to water- an extraordinary property with the ability to adapt and carve it's own path through rock and to give birth to new life. She would never take Death's hand the way that suns and moons and stars did at the end of their long lives. She would simply be reborn as something new, move to a different system and carry out her function as was appointed to her.

In the face of her impending marriage to Cao, Lord of Raudran, an immortal life seemed like a curse. Nowadays she hid from the inevitable, avoiding her husband-to-be at every turn, hoping to steal as much freedom as she could before the wedding.

Dream walked through the halls searching for his lover, Killalla. He had told her to enjoy herself while Parliament was in session and now that they were taking an unplanned recess he decided he would try to find her. So far he was unsuccessful.

Having looked in all the obvious places, the main hall and the gardens, he began searching in the more obscure ones.

Coming upon a large balcony in the Hall of Hanging Gardens, he saw a female with pearlescent white skin and platinum hair standing on the balcony alone. She paced along the railing, seeming content in her solitude.

**_"Excuse me, Lady. Did you happen to see a woman with blue skin pass this way?" _**He asked, hoping she may be able to give him some clue as to where Killalla could have gone.

When the female turned to face him he realized she was an ice spirit. Spirits were immortals, somewhat like himself. Her features were quite lovely, in the way that fairies can sometimes be, he thought. The spirit's silver eyes seemed to glow in the light, making Dream wonder if the ethereal spark was real or an illusion.

The spirit with the silver eyes smiled politely saying, "No, I haven't seen anyone. Sorry."

**_"Thank you," _**Dream replied, making a move to search for his lover elsewhere.

"What's her name?" The ice spirit asked, unsure why she was still talking to him. Perhaps it was something about the calmness of his voice or his dark appearance that had piqued her curiosity. Perhaps it was because she was tired of always being alone. "If I see her I could tell her you were looking for her."

**_"Her name's Killalla," _**he said. **_"I thought I could see her before Parliament is reconvened. More than likely she is with one of my brothers or sisters."_**

The Dreamlord idled for a moment as he stared at the white spirit with some interest. Someone must have been missing her as well.

**_"Is there a reason why you are not with your family? Your friends?" _**He asked.

The ice spirit smiled wryly. "You and I are both immortals, are you sure we have the luxury of friends?" she asked, leaning against the balcony railing.

Dream cocked his head to the side upon hearing her mysterious remark. **_"You could be right. Let me introduce myself- then perhaps you will have at least one friend here. I am Dream."_**

"I am Annika of Karuna. It is an honor to meet you, Dreamlord," she told him, sitting up and bowing her head to the Endless in a respectful greeting.

**_"What brings you to Parliament?"_** He asked. His knowledge of Elemental Spirits was not vast but he knew they were not restrained to one star system in particular. So he figured she was not there to represent a planet or realm.

Annika shrugged, "I'm not sure really. My father has come to speak with Cao, my fiancé, and his family- our engagement is to be announced tonight, gods save me. Other than that, the Elementals don't have much purpose here. What about you, do the Endless have a large stake in interplanetary boundaries?"

**_"No. I'm here out of a sense of duty. Mizar invited the Endless and I wished to show my support for her Parliament. However, the longer I am here the less important I'm realizing my presence is. My sister, Death, came and left within the first hour."_**

"Yet you're still here?" She asked, knowing that she would have left long ago too if she could. She was only there because Cao wanted to show her off to his friends... and apparently the rest of the universe.

**_"Yes. Out of goodwill." _**Dream explained, his inky black robe trailing the ground behind him as he came to stand by her side.**_ "Also, I wished for Killalla to meet my family. It is rare that we are ever all in one place at the same time."_**

"That's nice. Is Killalla your lover?" She asked, curious to know if the Endless were allowed to have lovers.

**_"Yes. I am very fortunate to have her," _**he said, his black eyes softening.

For some reason, Annika believed he was indeed fortunate. It was not as if the Dreamlord was ugly, he had an attractive sensuality about him, but the life of an Endless could not be an easy one. Annika herself knew of the loneliness that an immortal life brought. Others saw it as a precious gift, but they could never understand what they'd be giving up if they had it. Loved ones never stay, places degenerate with the passing centuries, and all that is once beautiful eventually turns to dust.

"It's pleasing to hear that you have found someone to love," she told him. "It gives me hope for myself."

**_"Didn't you say you were engaged?" _**He asked, confused as to her meaning.

"I do not love Cao," she replied, very as a matter of fact.

Realizing she might have sounded rather cold, Annika forced a smile and changed the subject.

"There are some fascinating beings here. I had no idea so many varieties of mortals existed," she said leading him through a covered lanai to an adjacent balcony. Inside was the Hall of Illumination, which was filled with many colorful people of all kinds.

**_"Yes, they are complex beings…" _**he told her. Just as Dream said this two guests walked by arguing heatedly over whether or not Faerie was an existing kingdom deserving of consideration or just an abstract notion.**_ "However, most of them are too headstrong." _**

"Hints the unplanned recess," she said, humored by all the ridiculous nagging she's heard during her stay. "The rest of my family is quite similar. Unfortunately, we peer in at each other from opposite sides of the looking glass. They all think I am aloof, proud… too stuck in my head."

**_"I do not see that," _**he told her, his black eyes staring into hers as he took her measure.

"What is your impression then?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips and waiting for an answer.

**_"You're elegant." _**

Annika couldn't help but laugh at his unexpected response. "Surely you've seen far more elegance in your own kingdom?"

**_"The Dreaming is ever-moving and ever-changing. Simplicity is rare_**," he explained.

Annika nodded, having known her own dreams to be anything but simple. "Then I hope being elegant -as you put it- is not the same as being peculiar in your terms."

**_"No. It is not," _**he assured her. Something of a smile began to tug at the corner of his lips then. **_"It's nice,"_** he added.

"Thank you," she replied, almost saying that he may be one of the first to think so.

Suddenly, the pair heard her name being called. Annika looked over in the direction of the voice and saw her father searching for her.

"That would be my father," she sighed in annoyance.

Her distain did not go unnoticed by Dream who watched the older spirit push through the crowd of people. Unlike his daughter, the man certainly had no sense of grace.

**_"You are angry with him?" _**Dream asked, his gaze returning to her.

Annika nodded, stepping behind the flimsy curtain so her father would not see her.

**_"Why?"_** He inquired. To anyone watching, it would seem as if Dream were standing outside alone. Perhaps it was better that way.

Annika pursed her lips for a moment, first looking down at her feet and then at the star-strewn sky. Gazing up into the blackness she spoke, "Have you ever heard that anger is the voice of someone's hunger?" She asked, her voice becoming quiet. "That is the way it is with father and I."

**_"I'm sorry," _**replied Dream. He had no father, but he had siblings enough to empathize.

"It's alright, I wouldn't mind being the family shadow if he didn't hang on Cao's every word," she muttered, briefly looking out from behind the curtain again.

Dream pursed his lips and saw Annika's father conversing animatedly with a tall, red, athletic looking fire spirit. **_"Is Cao your fiancé?" _**He asked, assuming the person he was now looking at must be him.

"Yes. He's a fire spirit from an ancient family who owns all the planets in our system except for ours… when I marry him he will inherit it from my father. He was so happy when Cao informed him of his wishes that he immediately gave him permission to marry me."

Dream's brow furrowed in concern upon hearing this. **_"Were you given any choice in the matter?" _**

"No. I despise the man…" she muttered, her silver eyes glinting in displeasure. "Father doesn't realize what he is giving up; he can only focus on what he is gaining. Hints my quarrel with him."

**_"Your story is a sad one,"_** Dream murmured, feeling for the ice spirit. Now he understood why he found her alone.

"I think we all have a sad story to tell. But at least some of us can be lucky, like you and Killalla," she told him, offering him an optimistic upturn of her lips.

Dream smiled kindly at his new friend. **_"This is why you are elegant," _**he told her.

His words made Annika grin for real. She felt her spirits brighten a bit as she looked out on the crowd.

"I think I've had enough of hiding for one day," she said, her confidence growing. "Should we look for your Killalla?" She asked. "I would love to meet her."

Dream nodded, suddenly remembering the purpose of his wanderings. Annika lightly peeked her head from behind the curtain once more to see if her father and Cao had gone yet. No such luck though, she would just have to brave it.

"Shall we?" she asked, stepping out from her hiding place. Reaching Dream's side, they ascended into the crowd. Annika wasn't sure if she was nervous or excited but she was certainly glad to take advantage of the Dreamlord's company a little while longer.

The two walked right by Cao and Annika's father who both had to do a double take. They had been looking for her all day and suddenly she just appeared –seemingly out of thin air- with Dream of the Endless.

Cao pursed his lips in frustration as he watched his fiancé and the Endless converse with one another. He knew that she had been avoiding him and it irked him to see her out socializing unaccompanied. She pulled embarrassing stunts like this all the time. If it wasn't one thing it was another. When they married, he was determined to teach her correct manners. Not let her run wild as she seemed to do now.

"I see your daughter has finally decided to show her face," Cao muttered to Ballen, making his displeasure clearly known.

The older spirit ran his fingers anxiously through his hair, looking over at Annika as she conversed with the Dreamlord. "Yes… I believe she wasn't feeling well earlier," he lied, knowing that it was the only possibly viable excuse for his daughter's rude behavior.

She never listened to him nowadays. Ever since he gave his word to Cao about arranging the marriage, she no longer acted like his devoted daughter. He wondered how much longer she was going to stay mad at him.

"She knew that this night was to be the announcement of our engagement yes?" Cao asked, staring after her as the Endless introduced her to his brother, Destruction. Before Ballen could answer, the younger spirit Cao stormed off to find a drink.

The fire spirit watched as Annika leaned into the younger Endless and whisper something in his ear. As she pulled away, the large redheaded Endless threw his head back and began laughing so hard the ground vibrated. It was enough to make low, frustrated flames rise up around the fire spirit. He was determined that she would not embarrass him tonight at dinner.

Somewhere in the crowd Desire sipped his-her… its drink and watched with devious pleasure as the fire spirit seethed over his fiancé. Dream had no idea what trouble his little act of kindness was going to bring him, it thought. But Desire knew what a man's kindness could do to a woman, and the ice spirit desperately needed a friend. It was all too deliciously perfect.

Desire strolled over to Despair who was lounging on a bench in the corner. The obese creature took up the entire seat.

"My dear twin, do you see that poor girl over there with Dream and Destruction?" It asked, placing its foot on the edge of the bench and leaning in for more privacy.

Despair lolled her ugly head to the side, squinting in the direction her sibling was pointing. "Yessss?" She asked, observing the pretty spirit. She knew whenever Desire came to speak with her, it was going to be about something good.

"You should ready yourself for her." Desire's yellow eyes flashed with delight. "She's hanging by a thread and should fall into your lap any day now."

"Thank you my twin," said Despair, rubbing the golden hook wrapped around her finger- imagining snagging this little spirit's heart with it. "I was starting to miss our little games… been hungry for sometime now. Why is she with Dream?"

"Ah, well that little bit is where I get to have my part of the fun, dearest sister. Disaster befalls any woman who gets involved with our brother. But before that happens I will enjoy the climb to ecstasy." It then offered Despair a wide smile before turning on its heel and swaggered back into the crowed. All Despair had to do now was wait until Desire had its fill and then the spirit would be all hers.

AN: I have just become a recent fan of the Sandman series and after reading Endless Nights, I couldn't keep myself from writing something. I feel so bad for Morpheus sometimes, he's such a beautifully tragic character and his romances never seem to play out. So I'm not sure where this storyline is going but I really wanted to give it a whirl. Please let me know what you think thus far and if you would like me to continue!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: sooo from what I've gathered from traffic stats is that not many people go on the Sandman forum anymore. Sadness... Well if you are looking out for updates on my story please be kind and leave a review. I would much appreciate it. Best -MSK

**Lonely Spirit:**

Midday came and went and soon it was time to ready for dinner. This meant the inevitability of Annika's peaceful solitude being broken by Cao's mother, Gadmar, who took it upon herself to supervise her dress for the evening.

Gadmar was an ancient spirit with the face of a hawk and a shrewd manner. There was little about her that Annika liked but somehow she had more respect for her than her son. At least she was known to show restraint from time to time- even if it was purely for the sake of propriety- whereas her greedy son only ever wanted more.

For the past hour, Annika had been sitting at her vanity being made up by her maid. All the while Gadmar was sifting through Annika's wardrobe trying to find something she thought would be suitable for her to wear for the evening. Of course, dissatisfied with everything Annika had brought, she went on to plan B.

"My dear girl," she sighed in disappointment, closing the closet doors. "This dress selection you've brought is very feeble."

Annika pursed her lips in annoyance, "I had thought I might try wearing something practical, maybe something that would allow me to breathe."

"Hush. Who needs to breathe when the happy alternative is to be beautiful? The day your austere wardrobe becomes the fashion is the day I hope Death comes to take me. You are lucky I had something made for you just in case."

Gadmar left the room then to get her plan B dress. Annika could not help but roll her eyes at the ridiculous fact that Gadmar had planned for this. Soon the ancient spirit returned with a dress in hand.

"This gown should do very nicely I think, and not even you can complain about the color," Gadmar commented, laying it out on the oversized bed.

Then she nodded to the maid across the room, telling her to help Annika put it on.

The ice spirit didn't even bother looking at the outfit. She knew she had no choice in the matter anyway. Gadmar was extremely controlling, not to mention particular about what she considered proper dinner attire.

One evening when Cao and his family were visiting on Karuna, Annika had returned from the shores late for dinner and dressed in her day clothes –a thing her father never fully approved of yet never monitored. Gadmar had given her such a look of disgust as she sat down to eat, she thought the servants had offered her maggots for the main course. After that evening, Gadmar took it upon herself to choose all of her evening gowns. Annika sincerely hoped Gadmar would one day trust that her relentless lessons in fashion etiquette had sunk in and she'd leave her alone.

Annika stepped into the gown and the maid pulled it up onto her frame.

It was a swirl of midnight and sky blues, which Annika would not have objected to if it weren't for the bodice, which looked like it had lost a fight with a chandelier. Raudrian high fashion was always an assault on her eyes- so many gems and sparkles and colors and cutouts it made one's head spin.

Just as this thought crossed her mind she saw the ancient spirit pull a velvet case from the vanity drawer. "I hope you can understand the importance of this evening," Gadmar said turning to see how the dress fit Annika. It was as if the woman couldn't comprehend the callousness of her demeanor. "Cao will introduce you as his fiancé to the most important members of Parliament. This means you will be seen as an extension of the Viyn family," Gadmar explained, making sure Annika understood what was at steak. Heaven forbid she be seen to talk to anyone or worse, be herself. The family name was on the line and she was the anomaly that had the potential to send their world crashing down.

Gadmar opened the velvet box containing a large choker made of what appeared to be clusters of rolling teardrops made of glass. Annika's eyes widened at the odd piece of jewelry. As if the dress wasn't enough.

"I have no doubt that tonight will be a success," Gadmar said, resolved in this conclusion as she handed the necklace to the maid who clasped it around Annika's neck.

The piece was quite heavy and it felt like a hand gripping her around the throat. "Yes. No doubt," Annika answered quietly, looking in the floor length mirror at herself.

She knew that there was a place, or several, somewhere in the universe in which someone would die to wear this outfit. But all she could think was that she looked like the queen of Delirium. She took a long hard gaze at her appearance, trying to see if any of herself shown through the convincing disguise. Luckily, she might be unrecognizable.

"Don't squint like that," Gadmar ordered sharply. "You'll give yourself crow's feet."

Annika blinked in mock surprise, turning away from the mirror.

Cao came up to greet the pair outside Annika's room. Clad in his dark black tails, he looked very handsome. However, Annika could not even find comfort in that. A part of her wished that he was ugly so that she'd have one more justification for hating him.

He walked down the hall with his usual loping swagger that Annika could not stand. When he saw the two waiting for him he regarded them both with his cocksure grin.

"Good evening, mother, Annika." He kissed both of them on the cheek before offering Annika his arm. "I do hope you are feeling better," he told her as he led her down the hallway.

"I am, thank you," she answered somewhat dismissively.

"You know how your ever-wavering health concerns me, but please try to grace me with your presence throughout the entirety of dinner," he muttered, trying his best to sound even-keeled. "I'm growing tired of your flightiness," he warned her.

"We're both growing tired, Cao…" she retorted. A defiant spark flashed in her silver eyes as she met his orange ones. "And my flightiness, as you put it, is only a small part of the equation."

Cao pressed his lips together in quiet outrage as he led her down the hall.

"Then I hardly know what to do for you, my sweet," he growled, using all his will power not to squeeze her arm like a vice. "Whatever's gotten you into such a mood, it must stop before we get to the dining room. Surely you can put on a smile for an hour or so?"

Annika snorted in wry amusement as he all but dragged her down the ivory stairs into the Hall of Illumination, "An hour? Certainly, but what about the rest of our lives… that's how long marriage is isn't it?"

Cao ignored her last venomous jab at him and saw to escorting her to her seat at the long banquet table. He was relieved to be rid of her for the moment. He didn't think he could keep up their conversation much longer before making a scene.

Annika was sitting next to an earth spirit named Onima of Natchuz and a blue female star named Killalla of the Glow. As was tradition, Cao's seat was directly across from hers. The place cards on either side of his setting read Paren of Natchuz and Dream of the Endless. The first name he believed to be of little consequence, but the second was quite pleasing. If he could befriend the Endless it could open up a whole new world of opportunity. Cao was always eager to acquire more social capitol. He found it was the best security the universe could offer. Strangely enough, Annika seemed to have impressed the Dreamlord earlier so perhaps he already had his foot in the door.

Looking across the table at his fiancé Cao spotted her conversing with the pretty blue woman, Killalla of the Glow. They seemed to be getting on quite well. He would later learn that she was there with Dream.

It always surprised him how amiable Annika could act around others. He honestly pitied anyone who thought that she was anything but ice cold. She liked to pretend she was grounded and kind but the reality was, she was as frigid and unwelcoming as the feel of her icy skin.

There was once a time when Cao found her feistiness attractive. However, the novelty of that had quickly worn off. Now he only wished to tame her as quickly and painlessly as possible. He left the majority of this task to his mother for he had very little time to waste on such things. Once all the stubbornness and pride was exhausted out of her, he imagined that she would make a perfect partner to stand beside him.

After the dinner service had ended, Annika excused herself from Killalla's company to rejoin with Cao. The time she had spent with Dream's lover, she had gotten the strange feeling that the blue woman knew very little about the beings at Parliament. It was as if she could not comprehend the scale of such a momentous gathering or her part in it. She was a star after all, a part of the universe for which this Parliament was being held. Annika tried her best to explain things to Killalla but in the end she felt as if she had only added to her confusion. She could not help but wonder if Dream knew how lost Killalla was among these beings.

Just as this thought came to mind, the Endless himself appeared in front of her. "Long time no see," she said before bowing her head in a more formal greeting.

Dream was going to reply but then he noticed her flamboyant dress and cocked his head in amusement. The look did not go unseen by Annika.

"I know it's hideous isn't it?" She sighed.

**_"I did not say that,"_** he defended himself, trying not to grin.

"Don't worry, it's fine either way, it was a gift from Cao's mother. I can barely breathe in it," she said slipping her fingers under the bottom of the bodice in a vain attempt to loosen the corset.

Dream nodded, a smile pulling at his lips. **_"It doesn't suit you,"_** he said.

"I know, but I don't dare change. Gadmar might burst into flame and cook us all if I do," she muttered.

Dream let out a hearty laugh. Having met the ancient spirit himself several times, he knew how impossible she could be. **_"We all choose our battles I suppose. I wanted to thank you for being so kind to Killalla. I'm sure she appreciated having a someone to talk to."_**

"Oh, it was my pleasure really. Onima of Natchuz didn't seem like much of a conversationalist anyway. Speaking of Killalla, how is she, has she met your family yet?" she asked.

**_"Apart from being a little confused, she seems to be doing alright._**

**_I'm glad she can meet my brothers and sisters, they seem to have taken a liking to her, Desire has been especially kind."_**

Annika was happy to hear the good news. "Wonderful, I'm glad she's settling in. Meeting one's potential future in-laws is never easy. But Killalla seems sweet, so I would imagine it would be hard to dislike her."

**_"She is the kindest woman I know,"_** Dream said with a thoughtful upturn of his lips.

Annika felt a slight pang of envy upon hearing his words. Her relationship with Cao would never be anything like that of Dream and Killalla's. Affection between them was all but foreign and love was never a consideration when Cao and her father struck the match.

"I saw you sat with my fiancé at dinner," she said, approaching the subject with some trepidation. The thought of Cao droning on and on about his empire to the Dreamlord, made Annika want to grit her teeth in embarrassment.

**_"Indeed," _**Dream nodded, trying to find the right words to describe his impression of this immortal's husband-to-be. He then thought of something suitable, **_"He seems like an ambitious spirit."_**

Annika laughed then, "Yes, too much for his own good. He thinks himself a modern conqueror."

Dream looked across the room at Cao who was making his way through the crowd so he could collect Annika. The red fire spirit reminded him of a mortal in the way that he moved, like he was always in a hurry. **_"He will learn that empires don't last."_**

"It is too bad we are immortals then," Annika muttered. She then saw Cao approach and knew she had to excuse herself. "Sadly, I must go. Cao wanted to introduce me to some friends."

**_"I will let you take your leave then," _**he told her, bowing his head in a polite goodbye.

"Till next we meet," she replied, thinking that was somewhat of an absurd thing to say, for the chances were unlikely once Parliament ended.

Cao came up beside Annika and watched as the dark Endless walked away. "He's a spooky fellow," her fiancé muttered. "Certainly an odd one."

"I like him," Annika replied.

"Of course you do," Cao sighed, offering her his arm. "Come, there's some people I want you to meet."

Annika looked back at the Endless once more and felt the beginnings of a familiar emptiness grow in her stomach. It was the sensation of want tugging at her core. She imagined it would pass soon enough once reality set back in. But for now she let it pool there within her, feeling that somehow it would sustain her.

For the rest of the evening, Cao showed her off to all of his friends and acquaintances as if she were a piece of new furniture. To Annika's disappointment, she found out that he knew an inconceivable amount of people. By the end of all the introductions her head was spinning. She hadn't danced with so many strangers in all of her life. Her feet were so tired she thought her legs might buckle beneath her. Still there looked like there was no end to this celebration in sight. Annika had to leave before she fell asleep in a chair somewhere.

"Cao, I am quite tired," she finally told him after hours of being dragged around by him.

The fire spirit had felt her grow heavy and limp on his arm and he laughed, his incredibly white teeth flashing against his red lips. "Tired you out did I?" he teased.

Annika could hardly care what foolish thing came out of his mouth at this point; if she didn't retire soon she would drop to the floor in exhaustion.

"Would you mind if I went to bed?" she asked, looking up at him with what she hoped to be an endearing gaze.

"Of course not, you've been such a stunning jewel this evening, my dear. A rarity that I much appreciate," he praised her, pulling her in and kissing her on the cheek.

Annika scrunched up her face in repulsion and pulled away so his lips would not linger where she didn't want them. Flames of hate began to flair up inside her icy interior as she looked up at him. Why must he treat her like a pet he is trying to train? He had won, could he not just leave her alone?

"I'll be taking my leave then," she told him, quickly slipping her hand out of the crook of his arm and stepping away.

She left him without bidding him a good evening. In fact, she hoped that when he finally slept, he would find himself on the shores of nightmare.

Once again Dream had to speak with Mizar and lost track of Killalla. He truly felt bad about leaving her on her own again. His lover knew very few beings at Parliament but he had far too many obligations that would not allow him to be by her side. Finally, after having helped Mizar avert an inner dimensional incident he set about finding the star.

He had seen her speaking with Sto-Oa, a sun, earlier. He wondered if it would help if he found him. Sol, a smaller, fledgling sun, told him had seen the two and pointed in the direction they went. The sun's instructions had led him to one of the palace's many balconies.

There he saw his KIllallla in the arms of Sto-Oa, their lips melded together in heated passion. This shocked Dream at first, but then all at once he understood the painful truth… the star had met her sun. Killalla of the Glow and Sto-Oa were always meant to be together… it was written. All the crestfallen Endless could do was turn away.

"I think… I think he saw us," Dream heard Sto-Oa whisper in fear.

"Why should that scare you? You're a sun," Killalla responded.

"I am a sun, certainly. But he is _Dream_. They say that Death is kinder than he is," the sun informed her. There was much Killalla did not know of the Endless.

Dream's jaw tightened as he forced himself to walk away from the two mortals. His pride would not allow him to stand there any longer and listen to them.

How did he not see it before? His loneliness must have driven him to ignore the obvious fact the Killalla could never be his. She was a mortal after all. Their love was never to be… if there ever was any love there at all. Judging by the way she had spoken just now, he doubted she ever really loved him.

Dream's expression darkened as he began to make his way back to the Hall of Illumination to find Desire. His sister-brother had taken credit for leading Killalla into his arms… it had much to explain.

Up ahead of him, he saw his sister Despair speaking with Rao, a young planet. She was trying to convince him that a populated world on which an apocalypse was eminent was perhaps the most beautiful thing conceivable… from an artist's perspective of course.

**_"Where is Desire, my sister?" _**he asked, not caring that he was interrupting her conversation.

The naked, obese Endless didn't even lift her droopy gaze to speak to him. "Over there by the pool," she said, pointing a ragged finger towards the fountain.

**_"Thank you," _**he replied, leaving her with poor Rao.

When Dream approached Desire, it turned to him with a thin smile.

**_"Killalla of the Glow is with Sto-Oa," _**he informed his sister-brother.

"Yes," Desire affirmed, having known this already.

**_"They were kissing,"_** he continued pointedly.

"You mean they _were _kissing," the younger Endless laughed. "They've gone far beyond that now. His hot fingers are already invading her soft curves, her moist-"

**_"Enough! You find this funny?" _**he growled under his breath, surprised by his sister-brother's callousness.

An impish smirk spread across Desire's face then. "Actually, yes," it replied, knowing that anyone but it's brother would have reeled back and punched it for such a remark.

**_"Were you not the one who led her to me?" _**he asked.

Desire cocked its head to the side in a peculiar manner then. "No, actually. I wasn't."

**_"Yet you accepted my gratitude for your supposed favor."_**

"Just because I accepted it does not mean I deserved it, dear brother!" it snorted.

Dream's brow furrowed then, suddenly the pieces were starting to come together. **_"Then you lied to me,"_** he muttered.

"Killalla was what you wanted. I only said what I thought would please you. It yielded some rather amusing results."

**_"I see," _**he replied darkly. **_"Then we are not friends, you and I, Sibling. Not any longer. Do not interfere further in my affairs."_**

Dream walked away from Desire then, leaving the smug Endless to its drink. Destruction came up by his sibling's side, looking at their brooding brother as he made his way through the crowd.

"It was a joke!" Desire exclaimed, turning to the large redhead. "Doesn't he have a sense of humor?"

"Not that I've ever seen," replied Destruction.

He almost warned his sister-brother against fooling with their older brother. The mortals' fear for his wrath was by no means unfounded. Still, he said nothing, knowing that Desire would soon forget anyway. It was such a fickle creature. With this thought, he turned to go back to the bar. ****

Once Annika escaped the crowd in the main hall, she started to wander back to her room. It was a relief to get a breath of fresh air and some silence. Learning that so many people knew and admired Cao was upsetting to her. Probably because she realized that very few, if any, would be on her side once they were married. It seemed like she was going to look like the villain in all of this. She could hear it all now, the ladies at the Raudranian court gossiping behind her back… poor Cao, what a terrible lot to have to live with such a wretched spirit for a wife. Just the thought made her fume in anger.

Finding a set of stone stairs, Annika began to climb them without care where they led. She continued to climb until it seemed as if they went on forever. Tired as she was, she stopped on one of the landings to catch her breath. Directly across from her was a large, open window. Annika grabbed the skirt of her gown and climbed up into the frame. A soft breeze tugged at her limbs and hair as she looked out onto the universe. She wondered what it would be like to attempt seeing all of it. Surely it was impossible, even for an immortal. Yet, wouldn't that be a full and happy existence?

She often found herself playing this game at home. Her best friend, Marna, had taught it to her. She had called it the dreaming game. It was very simple and should always be played alone. All you had to do was open a window, look into the sky and wonder what was beyond it. You played with the hope that one day you would find out.

Marna's family was not rich and they had no lands, so when she came of marrying age she did as her parents bid her without fuss. She believed her husband treated her fairly, but Annika could see no consolation in that when her friend was still in bondage. Being from a wealthy family, Annika never imagined the same would happen to her. She always thought that she would have the rare privilege of living her life the way she desired. Yet now she often played the dreaming game.

Releasing her hold on the side of the frame, she balanced on the stone sill, her eyes drawn to the sky as she felt the calming ebb and flow of the wind coming through the gothic arch. Perhaps this is what freedom felt like, she thought. She believed she could stand up there, lost in her musings, forever. That was until she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

**_"What are you doing, Annika?"_**

The white spirit immediately turned around to face the speaker, her heart pounding in her chest as she grabbed hold of the sill to steady herself. Dream stepped out of the darkness then, lines of worry etched around his black eyes. How they had come to the same place was beyond her, but now that he was here she became sharply aware of herself.

"I was thinking," she replied quickly, embarrassed that he had caught her in such an odd state.

**_"What about?"_** he asked, slowly approaching her.

"Nothing," she chirped as she hopped down from the arched window. "I was just being foolish."

Dream believed her though he knew that was only a small comfort. Who would be there the next time she climbed into a window, Despair?... Death?

**_"As long as you are alright," _**he said, his voice sounding like a lonesome whisper on the wind. He was tired after the devastating events of the day and greatly wished to return to his home. In fact, that was where he was of to at that very moment. That was until he saw Annika of Karuna standing in an open window.

"Dream…" Annika spoke, her voice quiet but clear as a bell. "Are _you_ alright?"

His black gaze met hers then, the twin stars that floated in them were faded from an empty loneliness. He no longer had the strength or care to hide his defeat from the ice spirit.

**_"Killalla found her soul mate,"_** he told her**_. "It is not me- she left with Sto-Oa."_**

Annika stepped closer to the Endless, realizing that it was not just her that needed help. She knew life was not a fairytale but not all of it could be tragic could it? Her heart bleed for him just as it did for herself and Marna.

"I am so sorry, Dream. Do you know what happened?"

Dream nodded, folding his hands into his cloak as he looked out on the black sky. **_"As you already know, Killalla is a star. It turns out Sto-Oa is her sun. We were never meant to be together… Desire led me astray, claiming to have put her in my path when our meeting was only by coincidence."_**

Annika's brow furrowed as she listened to Dream. She could not see why his sister-brother would do such a hurtful thing. Then again, she knew much from her own experience that following one's desires often led to misery.

"You're not staying for the rest of the Parliament then?"

**_"No. I'm returning home now,"_** he told her.

Annika nodded quietly, sad to hear that he was leaving. With Dream gone, she would have no friends in this place. Somehow, the brooding Endless added a little light to her gloomy life. She wondered when or if she would ever see him again.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, already knowing his answer.

**_"No. Thank you,"_** he replied, turning to continue up the stairs. **_"Goodbye, Annika of Karuna."_**

"Dream, wait!" she called, reaching out and stopping him. "I truly hope that you find happiness," she told him, meaning every word. "I don't know you well, but I know you deserve to be happy."

Dream stared at her for a moment and then something peculiar happened… Perhaps it had something to do with the sincerity of her kind words, or her heartbreaking expression but Dream did something unimaginable then. He kissed her.

Feeling her jump in shock, the Dreamlord wrapped her up in his arms to steady her. The ice spirit's lips were soft and cold beneath his as he gently ran his fingers through her platinum hair.

Despite her astonishment, Annika desperately wrapped her arms around his neck, her heart pounding in her chest as she realized, to her alarm, she wanted this. Once they became a tangle of arms, like two vines wrapping around one another, Dream pressed her against the wall, concealing them in the darkness. Reaching around her neck, he unclasped the heavy choker she wore and let it fall on the ground between them.

A fire had lit inside of him, one that was determined to have him forget about Killalla and lose himself in this other woman. He knew it was wrong… he knew Desire was probably splitting it's sides at the moment –amused by its brother's weakness- but he could hardly care. After a while he finally he came up for air leaving the little ice spirit stunned and panting in the darkness.

Annika smoothed her palms over his black-robed chest, trying to calm the passion of the Endless. One thousand tiny thoughts were buzzing in her mind and the only ones she could fully grasp onto were the ones telling her she wanted him. Annika could make love to him there in the darkness and rob Cao of the pleasure of having her first. It would be the perfect act of defiance… her revenge. But in reality, allowing something like this to happen was far too dangerous.

"Dream," she breathed, trying to hold him at a distance. "What are you doing?"

**_"Kissing you,"_** he murmured before latching his mouth onto her pretty white throat. Needy gasps escaped Annika at the feel of his touch as she unconsciously buried her fingers in his raven hair.

"We can't," she breathed headily, allowing him to make his way down the column of her neck.

**_"Why?"_** He challenged as he continued to kiss her. It was such a simple question to which Annika had a ridiculously uninventive answer.

"Because it's wrong," she told him, knowing that, in this moment, Dream did not care about right or wrong. She didn't think she would have either, except she realized the consequences of such an act would be far worse than a petty scandal. Dream did not love her. He was only searching for comfort- and perhaps, like her, for revenge. Annika understood this and she feared that if they did spend this night together, she would fall in love with him… and that could only lead to her ruin. She had already felt the warning signs within her heart.

Dream's lips then returned to hers and as they kissed, that empty, desirous feeling in Annika's stomach only grew. Soon, it would threaten to swallow her if she did not give in. She knew this had to stop now or else she would never stop.

"We cannot!" she cried, pushing him away and stepping back into the light.

Dream could tell she was frightened, but strangely enough, not of him. She seemed in disbelief at her own actions, at the position she now found herself in. Suddenly he felt guilty for pushing her so far. He had not thought of her current situation when he had first joined their lips. In fact, he was being demanding and selfish. Annika was to be married to one of the most powerful Fire Lords in the universe- she could not afford to make such a mistake.

**_"I am sorry, Annika, you are right. I was not thinking,"_** he told her, giving the spirit more room to breathe.

"It's fine, really..." she answered, short of breath as she quickly scraped up the necklace off of the ground and put it back on. "Perhaps under different circumstances... but I am to marry soon and your heart is trying to heal. Are you angry with me?"

**_"No. You speak the truth," _**he told her, knowing that she had stopped him from making a grave mistake.

A moment of silence passed and then suddenly she let out a laugh. "I must say this is an interesting way to start off a friendship." The fact that Dream did not laugh at her joke was not lost on her. "Look, let's just forget that it ever happened and continue on as friends. Affairs only ever end in heartbreak anyway… it is better to be friends. Deal?"

Dream nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips, **_"It is a deal, Annika."_**

Dream escorted her back to her rooms before fading back into the Dreaming. Strangely enough, Annika had an air of optimism about her as they said their goodbyes.

Once he was back in the Dreaming, the Dreamlord went directly to the castle library to clear his head of the day's strange events- the strangest of which, being it's conclusion.

Dream collected fewer friends than he did names- Dreamlord, King of Stories, Morpheus, Oneiros- but he was willing to consider Annika among them. After all, where would the poor soul find freedom if not in her dreams? She was one of those creatures destined for loneliness and if not loneliness than heartache. Perhaps he should consider himself among her lot and perhaps he should not condemn her so quickly. Whatever the case, he was almost certain he would see her again.

AN: sooo from what I've gathered from traffic stats is that not many people go on the Sandman forum anymore. Sadness... Well if you are looking out for updates on my story please be kind and leave a review. I would much appreciate it. Best -MSK


End file.
